The present invention relates to an electronic device comprising a housing and a cosmetic envelope.
An electronic device such as a set-top box is a set of electronic components, such as integrated circuits, a processor, memories, fans, etc . . . It generally comprises a metal housing that includes and protects all the electronic components. Externally, the housing comprises the gear necessary to drive the device; e.g. buttons, plugs, displays.
In current generations of such an electronic device, plastic cosmetic box, or casing, has been added around the housing. The cosmetic box is generally made of several pieces of plastic to cover each side of the metal housing. Each piece of plastic is fixed independently to the housing with clips and/or screws.
For example a set-top box is surrounded by a plastic box made of several panels to cover most sides of the set-top box. And it is fixed to the metal box through several screws on each side of the metal box.
With the current design, the access to the housing requires the dismantling of the plastic box. For example in a repair centre, the operator needs to remove all the plastic pieces before accessing the housing. Disassembling and reassembling the device cost time. And it costs additional time when the operator loses a screw, or breaks a piece of plastic. It is therefore desirable to simplify the disassembling and reassembling of the electronic device when it is being serviced.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,545,874 B1 deals with a compact computer arrangement in which components are disposed within an exterior computer housing maximizing space efficiency while remaining accessible.
US2003/0233667 deals with a method and an apparatus for implementing a scaled upgrading of an upgradeable set-top box.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,841 deals with an adapter provided for a removable information storage device in an information storage system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,103 B1 deals with an external casing having a modular design for encasing a variety of hardware peripherals within an interior compartment.
US2005/0094380A1 deals with electrical equipment in which a chassis mounting thereto electronic parts can be simply mounted on a bottom of a cabinet without using screws and which can be simply disassembled.